Page 15 - Graypvine July 2022

of it serving underprivileged youth.” amazingly powerful and important lens by which our,
Beginning in July, this horse and others will or any, city is experienced.
be put in various locations around the city. In The kids have been so excited and have had so
prior years, horses were displayed in front of many ideas that keep bubbling over. We've done
Gray’s headquarters on Main Street in downtown different layers each week (secret mantras on our
Lexington. Visitors enjoy walking around town to base layer, acrylic paint, spray paint, melted crayon,
find each horse, and they add a lot of interest to markers, oil pastels, glitter – there is a lot going
sidewalks and businesses while on display. on!). As I've mentioned they have also been really
“Public art lets us have conversations about invested on how we will use our honorarium money
ourselves, with ourselves, through the art that we to serve the community.”
create,” said Brian. “And then that conversation Horse Mania culminates in an auction of each
expands outside of our community by people horse, where bidders compete to own and
who come to visit – they see horses (real and display each horse where they choose. Auction
painted), murals all around town, architecture, other proceeds go to local arts organizations and
permanent and impermanent art while they are various charities. 15
here. And whether they actively seek that art out, In April, Gray Construction team members also
or they simply walk, bike, or drive by it – it informs participated in the Lexington Office’s Annual Silent
their experience of Lexington. And then they share Auction to benefit LexArts. This year’s event raised
those experiences with others. So, public art is an $10,500.